This workshop is for advanced photographers who want to take their editorial or personal work to the next level. National Geographic photographer Tomasz Tomaszewski, and former National Geographic picture editor and director of photography Kent Kobersteen, will challenge the students to produce their very best work on subjects about which they feel strongly.

The workshop will stress finding and researching story subjects, photographing people in an intimate fashion, making photographs that communicate emotionally as well as editorially, and using aesthetics in a sophisticated manner. Workshop participants will be encouraged to take professional risks, and will be expected to produce top quality work worthy of major publications, books or galleries. Photographers should come prepared to find and research a topic, and produce a complete and edited story during the week.

Kent and Tomasz will openly share the techniques and approaches photographers use in the field to create work for National Geographic Magazine and other major international publications. They will also discuss business aspects of photography, such as creating a strong portfolio, approaching editors and getting assignments, finding the right agency, developing a lasting relationship with a publication, and photography in the electronic media.

Throughout the week editing and reducing a large body of work to the strongest presentation will be stressed. In individual meetings with the students the instructors will give advice on portfolios and career aspirations.

Tomaszewski and Kobersteen have collaborated as photographer and director of photography on many National Geographic stories, and will use this professional relationship to give the students a varied and realistic perspective on the business of editorial photography and on their individual photographic work.

Students MUST be prepared for long hours of shooting, editing, critiquing and interacting with one another and with the instructors. This is not a Photoshop or technical workshop. Students must be proficient in these areas as they will not be addressed in the workshop. Although this workshop is not exclusively for professional photographers, students must be experienced, and of a professional level. Students must provide their own photographic equipment, laptop computers and transportation. Workshop sessions and all programs will be conducted exclusively in English.